Never Again
by Nenshou Mirai
Summary: Hidan gets a bit reckless with his ceremony for Lord Jashin and Kakuzu has to take care of his injured companion, all the while Hidan has conflicted feelings over their recent encounter with the shinobi from Konoha. KakuHida which is yaoi, don't like it don't read it. R&R!


**So hello again! It's the awesome me! I have been inactive for the longest time for no reason other than lack of inspiration. But my dear friend, Aima-chan, told me about that stupid SOPA law that I had no idea started again so I guess to show that we have our rights I'm making this fic ^^ that and I really have been daydreaming about KakuHida too much lol. No one give me crazy comments about SOPA because I hate getting into heated arguments . Also this fic takes place in a slight AU, you will get what I mean later XD**

**Without further ado I give you my warnings!:**

**Probably extreme OOC-ness**

**Swearing (Hidan…)**

**Cheesy/Corny/Fluffy (Nenshou…)**

**I own nothing! If I owned Naruto I would have the Akatsuki have a spinoff series ^^**

**Now here we go!**

Sweat dripped down his forehead in large beads and left trails through the dirt and blood. He was a bit sore but that fact was overwhelmed by the unrelenting feeling of ecstasy consuming him. "Jashin…" He barely managed to moan out as he closed his eyes to take in the pure bliss.

"Hurry up; you are wasting time with that pointless prayer." Kakuzu grumbled out, positioning the corpse over his shoulder. His green eyes narrowed at Hidan who impaled himself with about five different objects. The miser looked away to look in the direction of the sun "If we don't get there soon, we will have to keep the body until dawn and it will reek by then." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he remembered all the times he had to keep the body an extra day since Hidan's ceremonies would last hours.

Hidan groaned "Stop being such a sore ass Kakuzu! Your precious money can wait until I'm fucking done with this." Despite his words he sat up and began removing all the weapons from his body. Even he did not look forward to the prospect of enduring the smell of a corpse. He stood up slowly and suddenly felt dizzy 'Too much blood loss.' He thought as he placed a hand on a nearby tree to regain his balance. He looked up to see Kakuzu already walking away. The Jashinist huffed "Thanks for the concern, buddy." He leaned down to pick his scythe and winced slightly as he put pressure on his ankle 'I think I sprained this shit.' He heaved the scythe up off the ground 'Was it always this heavy?'

He ran, well at least tried to, so he could catch up his partner who was almost out of sight. Hidan grunted and lightly punched Kakuzu in the shoulder as he finally caught up to him "Thanks for waiting, heathen bastard." Kakuzu barely even glanced at the Jashinist "You were taking too long and I don't want to have to hold onto this body longer than necessary." Hidan let out a sigh "Yeah, yeah I fucking know but would it kill you to wait another few minutes?" "Yes it would."

The albino let out a frustrated sigh "No you wouldn't!" The banker gave Hidan a hard look "Shut up, Hidan." Kakuzu growled out, his grip tightening on the corpse as his patience grew thinner. Hidan rolled his eyes but kept quiet, for once not wanting to continue to antagonize his grumpy partner. He could still feel the effects of fatigue and didn't want to show the toll his ceremony took on his body.

The two S-ranked criminals trudged in a heavy silence. Filtering through the leaves were the suns dying rays and the noises of wild life filled the ears of the two men. Kakuzu was ignoring them and was mentally counting how much money he had and how much he should have after he turns in the bounty. Not so pleasant or simple thoughts filled Hidan's uneasy mind. His magenta eyes warily scanned the trees, searching for the eyes of those dreaded deer that had stared at him with a piercing hatred. He unconsciously shivered at the memory.

_Flashback to a few months earlier!_

Hidan strained against the bindings that held his arms and legs together and glared at the damned Leaf shinobi who stood with an air of self-righteousness and a small smirk plastered on his face.

With a flick of the wrist he pulled out a lighter and turned it on "You're going to get what you deserve." Hidan, in his crazed state and wanting so badly to give Jashin the sacrifice he needs, spat out in the younger's face "Shut the fuck up you little shit! I can't wait to offer your heathen soul to be purged by Lord Jashin!"

As Shikamaru looked to his side and began muttering something as if he were talking to someone beside him. The Jashinist took that moment to look down at himself and he felt a twinge of panic once he realized it would be nearly impossible for him to get out of this mess without help. He looked around and noticed all the deer. At first he felt more than a bit puzzled but once he looked at them closely his panic grew and brought chills up his spine. Their eyes were almost unnatural with a look of loathing that he believed wasn't even possible for the mind of the deer. Yet here they were staring down at him as if he were their pray.

Palms clammy, he tightened his hand into fists. He looked at and around himself to try to find some way to escape it all. The kid, the lighter, the trap, and most of all the bone chilling gaze of the usually gentle and shy creatures. Despair temporarily choked back his words as the boy in front of him seemed to have finished his conversation and returned his gaze to him.

"Let's finish this." He muttered as he raised his hand which held the lighter. Out of fear, Hidan began yelling obscenities at him, which had over time become his way of defending himself "Fuck you! You're nothing but a heathen shit who will suffer Jashin's wrath and what I get my hands on you I'll-"

Hidan was cut off as Shikamaru turned to the side and blocked shurikens. Weakened by his own loss of chakra, the Leaf Shinobi was unable to block a punch that came straight at him. Hidan's eyes widened, he could recognize that hand anywhere "Kakuzu…" He breathed. He hadn't expected his partner to come to his rescue so quickly. Hidan felt immediately embarrassed by his thoughts, knowing that in the back of his mind he truly did hope his partner would help him soon.

Kakuzu seemed to ignore Hidan as he raised his fist again and again in a rhythmic repetition. He stopped his ruthless attack long after Shikamaru stopped moving 'That kid had no chance.' Hidan thought smugly 'He lacked the chakra he needed for his one good ability and without it he was nothing but a smartass.'

After making sure his victim was dead, Kakuzu threw a kunai that effectively cut his bindings. Hidan fell to the ground and let out a small groan as he moved his stiff limbs. He smirked and stood up shakily, exhausted from the fight "You showed that brat not to mess with-" He was once again cut off as he was pinned to a tree by one of Kakuzu's arm with said man in his face, anger and another emotion he couldn't quite place in his eyes "You are a real dumbass, Hidan! That 'brat' almost had you. You may be immortal but you aren't invincible!" The albino raised his hand and placed it on Kakuzu's arm to try to loosen his hold but this only seemed to piss off the miser more "If I had not been able to get here do you know what would have happened to you?" Hidan was put off by how he was acting and hesitantly nodded. The former waterfall ninja pulled back and extended his arm to grab Hidan's scythe and place it into Hidan's hands "You need to be more careful." He said, meeting Hidan's eyes. The Jashinist was shocked by the raw emotions his partner was showing. He found his words and mustered out in a halfhearted joke "As long as you're here I think I can be as fucking reckless as I want. But I will try to be careful, asshole." Kakuzu seemed to relax.

He gestured in the direction behind Hidan "We should go back that way. I managed to take down Kakashi and knock out the Jinchuriki and his friends but they will probably have back up headed this way.

Nodding, he placed his scythe on his back and followed his partner "That's not a bad idea. But let's stop soon so I can pray to Jashin, he will be mad that he had no sacrifices today." He added more quietly "And I'm kinda hungry." Kakuzu grunted "There is a small inn not too far from here. We can stay there for the night but we need to head off as soon as we can."

_Flashback Over_

Hidan remembered the leader not being too upset over the fact that they really hadn't achieved anything 'Probably thought we were going to get defeated by those Leaf assholes.' He thought bitterly. The leader never really seemed to like them and called them "High Maintenance" more often than not.

Black dots darted across his vision and he blinked hard a few times and rubbed his temple a bit 'Come on, I'm fucking weak. Lord Jashin will think I'm a pussy if I can't handle a little fucking blood loss.' He was slowly falling behind his partner without realizing it as his attention was on trying to maintain consciousness. Kakuzu looked over his shoulder to look over his partner as he steadily created more distance between the two. The banker took note of the wounds that covered his body and his slight limping 'It looks like something is wrong with his ankle; I better check it after I turn in the bounty.'

He slowed his strides, allowing Hidan a chance to catch up. Hidan, not noticing his partner's efforts to slow down, quickened his pace and eventually the two were relatively close to each other. Once they arrived at the bounty station Hidan initially refused to go inside due to the stench but Kakuzu said he would get him one of the better rooms at an inn if he goes inside. Truthfully, after their encounter with the Konoha ninja he didn't want to risk having another close call like that.

Once Kakuzu finished counting his money, they left rather hastily. Before they might have stayed in that area but the two agreed it would be better not to stay in one area too long for the time being. Progress wasn't really being made since Hidan had become exceptionally slow and his breathing had become a bit harder. Not wanting to show how hard he was watching his partner, Kakuzu decided he would wait until they got to that inn before he closed Hidan's wounds. The Jashinist could still feel the blood oozing sluggishly from many of his cuts and the feeling grossed him out, sure he had relished it earlier but now it felt like it was violating his skin. He hissed as he tried wiping some of the blood but ended up scratching into a cut "You can wash it off when we get there." Hidan looked up to see Kakuzu walking as if he hadn't said anything a few seconds ago. He grinned and made more of an effort to keep up with him.

The first thing Hidan did was remove his bloodied cloak once they got inside. He wanted to collapse on the bed but he was still covered in blood and the idea of sleeping in his own blood did not sit well with him. He walked into the bathroom and was surprised when Kakuzu followed him "What the hell? I need to wash this off first, asshole." Kakuzu looked down at him, using his height difference as a sign of authority "Do you really think I will let you after all that stumbling around you did while trying to get here? I can't trust you to wash off the blood properly and knowing how reckless you are you might just open your wounds even more." Hidan huffed and crossed his arms "I don't need you to help me clean up!" Kakuzu narrowed his eyes "Did I ever give you a choice?" Knowing how persistent Kakuzu could be, Hidan let out a sigh of defeat "Whatever you fucking creep. You know you just want to see this fucking awesome body." He grinned confidently.

Luckily Kakuzu's mask hid the blush he earned from Hidan's statement and he rolled his eyes. He turned around to take off his own cloak when he heard Hidan protest "Shit, wait so we're actually fucking doing this together?" He could practically feel Hidan's nervousness "Yes, I didn't think it would be a problem." Hidan let out another sigh "I guess you're fucking right." Once they were done taking off their clothes they both turned around and paused. Silently the examined each other's bodies "You have stitches Kakuzu." Hidan said quietly, not knowing what to say 'Fucking sexy stiches.' Kakuzu nodded "Yes and you have a lot of scars, let's get this over with." Hidan nodded and let Kakuzu turn on the water and get it to right temperature. Kakuzu got in first and gestured for Hidan to follow. The Jashinist instantly regretted the decision as the water burned his wounds despite his partner choosing a more lukewarm than hot temperature.

Hidan tensed up at the pain but he relaxed a bit when Kakuzu steadied him with a hand on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Kakuzu's face. He had no idea why the banker continued to hide it behind the mask; he was far from scary or bad looking. He looked down after he realized how long he had been staring at him but Hidan felt Kakuzu's other hand gently tilt his chin up to look back at him. He moved his hand up to Hidan's cheek and healed a small cut that marred his otherwise flawless face. Instinctively, Hidan leaned into his hand, slightly nuzzling, it felt so good. He felt a bit disappointed when Kakuzu pulled away but was caught off guard when Kakuzu pulled him close into an embrace.

Hidan let out a small yelp at both his partner's actions and the water hitting the wounds even more on his back since the water was hitting mostly in that area. Kakuzu both healed and slowly stitched Hidan's cuts on his back, running his hands up and down his back comfortingly. Hesitantly, he leaned forward and returned the embrace and took the opportunity to put less pressure on his injured ankle. He turned his head to lean it on the other man's chest. The man's many heartbeats relaxed him. After a while he could feel his eyelids drooping. Kakuzu pulled him away gently "Don't fall asleep on me, Hidan." He said as gently as he touch "Mmhmm." Hidan looked up at his partner drowsily which made Kakuzu laugh a bit "I will try to be quick."

He turned Hidan around again so his back was pressing against his chest and he ran his hands down Hidan's arms and chest. Kakuzu's threads traveled around Hidan's smaller form, closing any wounds he can find and sending his chakra through it to make them have a more soothing vibe to them. Hidan was seriously having trouble staying awake "I'm sleepy, Kakuzu." He stated, sounding almost like a small child.

"Were almost done." Kakuzu reassured him. Using his threads he was able to wash both himself and Hidan at the same time all the while supporting his exhausted partner. When he was satisfied with how clean they were he turned off the water and helped Hidan out of the shower, not trusting Hidan to not stumble in his sleepy state.

Hidan blinked his eyes hard, trying to wake himself up. The Jashinist accepted the towel Kakuzu offered him and wrapped it around himself "Sit down." The miser ordered, gesturing to the toilet. Not questioning his reason Hidan listened and sat down. Leaning down he pressed a few fingers to Hidan's ankle earning a wince and a "Be fucking careful!" After a bit more prodding Kakuzu confirmed it was a sprain "Be still." He ordered once again.

He gingerly lifted his foot by the heel and wrapped it with care. If it were anyone else, he might have been worried about how long this would take to heal but Hidan was an unusually fast healer. He stood up and looked down at the Jashinist who was staring at him questioningly "It's sprained but I think you should be fine." Hidan nodded knowing he had been right when he felt the pain earlier.

The Jashinist carefully stood up and grabbed onto Kakuzu's shoulder for support and the other allowed it by grabbing onto his arm. He helped him dry himself then helped him to the bed. There was only one bed but they were used to this due to Kakuzu's stinginess. The banker threw Hidan his boxers and the albino put them on slowly as Kakuzu dried and put on his own boxers.

Hidan scooted himself back and lied down, his back prickling with pain from his now closed wounds. He closed his eyes for a long time and thought he was falling asleep when he was prodded on the arm. He opened his eyes to see Kakuzu staring down at him with what seemed to be a pill and a glass of water "This will help with the pain." He explained as Hidan opened his mouth to ask. He slowly closed his mouth and sat up. He took the pill and then the water, drinking the entire glass as he had not realized how thirsty he was. He felt Kakuzu press a hand to his forehead and hummed "Well you don't feel particularly warm." He stated more to himself than the other man.

The pill was kicking in and if Hidan felt like he was waking up that feeling was overcome as all he wanted to do at the moment was sleep for a long time. Kakuzu said in almost a whisper "Lay down, you need to get some rest now." Not giving him any real option as he delicately pushed him down and pulled the blanket over him. Hidan blinked slowly and heard the click of the light switch and when he opened his eyes again they had to adjust to the sudden darkness. He felt a weight press down on the bed and he knew it was Kakuzu. His partner's weight seemed to be the exact same so he recognized it when he would get on the bed. Hidan felt his partner's warm arms wrap around him and pull him close "Hmm?" He 'said' questioningly. Kakuzu said nothing as he pulled him closer, making Hidan have to lay his head onto his chest. Hidan lazily ran his fingers on some of the stitches on the other's chest and smiled 'They feel so nice.' He had to admit he was happy when he got the stitches on his neck since it was a constant reminder of how Kakuzu was in a way connected with him. It made him very happy, which was a rare feat most couldn't hope to pull off.

His magenta eyes looked up to the green ones staring uncharacteristically softly at him and a hint of a smile gracing his features. Kakuzu raised his hand and used his fingers to close Hidan's eyes and when he let out a weak protest he was hushed by that same hand caressing his cheek "Shh, sleep Hidan." The banker whispered more gently than anyone would believe possible. Almost immediately, Hidan relaxed and snuggled closer to Kakuzu before surrendering to a well-earned rest.

Kakuzu continued to watch his now peaceful partner sleep. He would never admit to the Jashinist but that ambush by the Leaf shinobi shook him to the core as he realized how close he came to not only losing his life but Hidan as well. He would never let that happen again. Kakuzu had even considered asking Hidan to leave the Akatsuki and they could travel as bounty hunters but he was worried that Pein might not let them go so easily and he didn't want to bring anymore danger their way.

Moments like these assured him that there was a way he could take care of his partner. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Hidan's forehead and whispered "Never again." He would never again allow himself to be so careless again and he certainly would never let Hidan ever come so close to defeat like that again. That was his first priority over any bounty he could make in his lifetime.

**So did you enjoy the corny fluffiness or did you enjoy it XD let me straighten some things out:**

**Yes I killed Kakashi and Shikamaru, don't hate me DX I like them but they had to go and this is what I meant by a slight AU I changed what took place during that battle.**

**I wasn't sure if Kakuzu could actually use healing jutsu's but I thought it would fit my story so now he can do it ^^**

**I hope you enjoyed, please review!**


End file.
